Indicating device for regulation of timepieces



March 18, 1952 E. E. WIFORD INDICATING DEVICE FOR REGULATION OF TIMEPIECES Filed Nov. 28, 1947 z-r- Fig.2

INVEN TOR. LZ/4 W/FORD March 18, 1952 E. E. WIFORD 2,589,467

INDICATING DEVICE FOR REGULATION OF TIMEPIECES Filed NOV. 28, 1947 SHEETS-SHEET 2 BY Fig 5 1 Arm/M5119 Patented Mar. 18, 1952 INDICATINGDEVICE FOR REGULATION OF I TIMEPIECES 'Elza E; Wiford, Sidney, Ohio. Application November 28, 1947, Serial No. 188,444

This invention relates to a device for indicjatingwhether a timepieceis running fast, slow or on time. i

Anobjec't, of the invention is to provide a device of. this kind in which atime-conformed unit is operated in. association with a synchronizing unit. conformable to the ticking of a timepiece to ber'egulated for determining by a cooperating indicator, what disparity existsbetween the timepiece and the time-conformed unit.

"Another. object is the provision of sucha device in. which the operation is simple and adapted to be performed in a minimum of time.

Another object is to provide a novel and effective sychron'iz'ing key for use with regulating devices'of the nature indicated.

" These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view, with parts broken away, of a regulating device of my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the actuator or key forming part of my invention.

Figure 4 is a sideelevational view of the same.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the upper part of the regulating device.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmental viewon line 66 of Figure 4.

Briefly, my invention comprises timing elements including means for revolving "a contact at a con'sta'nt, pre-determined rate of speed representing a time-standard'and synchronizing elements comprising a cam and indicator and means for rotating the revolving contact against "the cam at intervals reflecting the ticking of a timepiece to be regulated. The'relationship of camand contact is such that when the timepiece isrunning on time there is no movement of the cam (and attached indicator) by the contact. But when the timepiece is slow or fast, said relationship is modified and the cam and indicator are moved in one direction, in the. one

instance, and the opposite direction, in the other instance, so that the person adjusting the timepiece ,can' determine, by observing the indicator, what the adjustment must be and carry out the same untilthe indicator remains motionless.

In greater detail and with reference to the drawings: my invention comprises a main housging or,-case 10, comprising a base. I l and front and-manual we?! 35 name s b brakets a Glai'ms. (01. 734;)

connected by rods H. A dial ldmay be positioned on the front wall l2. A subsidiary or smaller housing It is secured to the rear wall I3. I

An electromagnet I1 is attached as at 18, interiorly of housing 10 and projects as at I9, into the smaller housing I6. A shaft is roflstably mounted, as at 2! and 22, in the front wall of housing 10 and the rear end of housing 16. The forward end of shaft 20 projects through dial l5 and has secured thereto a hand or indicator 23, one end of which carries a weight 24 for normally holding the indicator in an upright position. Adjacent its rear end, shaft 20 has secured-thereto a small-cam 25. I

A movable contact means for the cam-25 is provided in the following manner. A synchronized, alternating current motor 21 is positioned in the bottom of housing Ill, together with suitable motor-starting means including a transverse shaft28 (Figure 2) journaled in the front and rear walls of said housing and provided at the rear end with a knob 29 adapted to be turned with the fingers for starting the motor. Suitable wire connections 33 are provided for supplying current to the motor from an adjacent source.

The shaft 28, interiorly of housing It, has a spur gear 3| secured thereto, which meshes with a large gear 32 secured, as at 33, to a journal shaft 34 rotatably surrounding the shaft "20.

Shaft 34 is rotatively supported in front wall [2 and within electromagnet l1. Said journal shaft projects into smaller housing It and there "has secured thereto an arm 35. One end of said arm carriesa transverse bearing 36 "through which a short axis rod '31 rotatably projects, the rod having fastened to or integralwith its ends a pair of projecting members, one constituting a cam contact 38 and the other, an electromagnetic arm '39. .Said contact and arm are limited in their rotational movement by suitable stop means within the bearing 36 and ar e nornriall y urged, by azsmall spring 4!), attached to said'arm and axis rod 31, in a direction outwardly of arm 35, that is, to the left and upwardly, asseen in Figure 1. A counter-weight =35 is carried by arm 35 at the end opposite the bearing 36;

.The contact 38 is designed to cooperate with cam 25 and arm 39 with the electromagnet l1.

As will be seen in Figures 1 and -2, a' contact plate 4| is secured to journal shaft adjacent the arm 35,'being separated therefrom by a spacer 42 and from the felec'tromagnet by a' spacer- 43.

Associated with the structure thus far described is n ac a k 935 4 Senfii th le 14 (Figure 2) on the base. Eaid wens maybe '65 hand'sideof Figuredand 'in"'Figure's-3 -and-4.

This unit comprises a base 45 having a pair of point contacts 46 and 46' mounted thereon in opposed relation. Member 41 is a mere abutment while member 46 is an electrical contact, as will be further explained. Forwardly of these, on a standard 41, an operating lever 48 is pivotally mounted, being preferably made up of a key 49, and a contact section 50, rigidly but adjustably connected together as at The outer end of key 49 is provided with an insulating covering 51.

Adjacent theend of base 45, opposite key 49, a standard 52 has positioned thereon, and fixed together for common rotation to the right (Figure 6) a switch plate 53 and a ratchet 54, spaced from plate 53 by a spacer 55. Plate 53, except for a contact segment 56 set therein, is of nonelectrical-conducting material, while ratchet 54, spacer 55 and lever 48 are all electrical conductors.

A pawl 58 is mounted pivotally as at 59 on the end of section 50 of lever 48 and is urged into engagement with ratchet 54 by virtue of a spring 60 on said section 50 and bearing against an ear 5| formed on the pawl.

circuit, embraces the actuator unit above describedand the electromagnet IT. This circuit is clearly indicated in Figure 3. The point contact 46 on key base 45 is shown as connected through line A with a terminal 64, which, through a line B proceeds to a battery C. From thence, a line D p proceeds to a terminal 65 on base 45 which is connected by line E with one side of the electromagnet ll, shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. The other side of the electromagnet is connected by line F with the connection stud 62 on key base 45.

It should now be explained that the gearing 3l--32 driven by motor 21 is such as to rotate the journal shaft 34, and the arm 35 thereto secured, at a synchronized and pre-determined rate, representing exact units of time. Shaft 20 is not rotated by said gearing. As illustration, arm 35 may be made to rotate so as to carry the cam contact 38 around a complete turn every three seconds. formed with a certain number of teeth (fifteen as shown) each representing a tick of a standard watch or timepiece wherein five ticks per second are produced, the total number of teeth representing three seconds.

Operation is as follows: the watchmaker, clockmaker, jeweler, or other person utilizing this regulating device, starts motor 21 by plugging in its connections 30 and actuatin the actuator knob 29. Then such person, closely noting the ticking of the timepiece to be regulated, actuates key 49 of the synchronizing unit between the point contacts 45 and 41 in synchronism with such ticking. Actuation of the 1ever'48 by key 49 rotates the ratchet 54 tooth-by-tooth, in synchronism with the ticking of the timepiece. When such rotation brings contact segment 5E5 of switch plate 53 into pleted through the key unit' and the electromagnet. The latter magnetically attracts the arm 39, whereby the cam contact 38 is simultaneously rotated toward cam 25. The high and zs Cooperatively, the ratchet 54 may be contact with finger 63, the battery circuit is com- 4 low peripheral sectors of the cam are so related to the cam contact 38 that the latter, upon such inward movement, passes across the low peripheral cam sectors when the key actuation is synchronous with the rotation of arm 35, which carries the cam contact. As a consequence, there is no resultant actuation of the cam and of the shaft 20 and indicator 23 connected therewith. But a disparity between the actuation rate of the key (that is, the ticking of the timepiece) and the rotation of arm 35, results in rotation of cam contact 38 on an off-beat, so to speak, when the finger 63 meets the contact segment 56 and actuates the electromagnet. As a result, the cam contact strikes against the high peripheral part of the cam and swings the cam, and consequently the indicator 23 (which the workman, of course, keeps under constant observation), to show that the timepiece is running either fast or slow. To indicate whether fast or slow, the cam contact may be arranged to strike opposite sides of the apex portion of the cam, resulting in swinging of the indicator to the left of the dial, if the timepiece is running slow, and to ,the rightif it is running fast. The timepiece is then adjusted and again tested, as explained, and when the indicator remains motionless, the timepiece is known to be running on time. Shaft 20, carrying cam 25 and pointer 23, is normally biased to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 by the Weight 24.

It may be further explained, as to use of the device, that the initial actuation of the cam contact is discounted, in the testing operation, since the contact segment 56 is any undetermined number of steps (or ratchet teeth) away from the contact finger 63. Upon the initial contact of said finger and contact segment, however, the device is conditioned for accurate testing. Such contact (and the resultant actuation of the cam contact 38) will occur every three seconds. In the meantime, arm 35 is rotating around the cam 25, every three seconds (in the illustration given) and a full revolution of arm 35 brings the contact 38 to a position wherein said contact, if then actuated, will not meet the higher or more off-center parts of the cam and hence the indicator 23 will not be moved. But if the tick ofthe time-piece does not coincide with these predetermined revolutions of arm 35, then the cam contact will be actuated against high parts of the cam and the indicator will register fast or slow, accordingly.

What is claimed is: I

1. An indicator device for use in regulating timepieces comprising a hollow main housing including front and rear walls, a subsidiary housing arranged exteriorly of and secured to the rear wall of said main housing and in communication with the latter housing, an electromagnet positioned within said main housing and supported in the rear wall of the latter housing and extendin into the subsidiary, housing, a shaft positioned within said main and subsidiary housings and rotatably journalled on the front wall of said main housing and the rear end of said subsidiary housing and having one end projecting from said front wall, an indicator positioned exteriorly of, said front wall of said main housin and secured to said one end of said shaft, a cam positioned within said subsidiary housing and fixedly secured to said shaft, an arm disposed transversely of said shaft and rotatably mounted intermediate its ends within said subsidiary housing coaxial with and independent of said shaft, a first contact member positioned contiguous to said electromagnet and saidarm and mounted on one end of said arm for rotary movement toward said electromagnet upon energization thereof, a second contact member connected to said first contact member and mounted on said one end of said arm for movement toward and into engagement with said cam in response to the rotary movement of said first contact member, motive means operatively connected to said arm for rotating the latter at a predetermined rate, and manually actuated means electrically connected to said electromagnet for energizing the latter at intervals synchronous with the ticking of the timepiece to be regulated, said cam and said second contact member being disposed relative to one another.

2. An indicator device according to claim 1 including in addition a counterweight positioned contiguous to the other end of said arm and secured thereto for urging the latter into a normally upright position.

position with respect to said arm.

ELZA E. WIFORD.

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,793,333 Maier Feb. 1'7, 1931 1,905,778 Alden et a1 Apr. 25, 1933 2.425,613 Gibbs Aug. 12, 1947 

